


Dragon-headed Boys

by seasalticecream32



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M, Merthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3439892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasalticecream32/pseuds/seasalticecream32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is trying, unsuccessfully, to create a patronus and one dollophead just won't let him concentrate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragon-headed Boys

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VanHelsing019](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanHelsing019/gifts).



**Dragon-headed Boys**

“I swear to God, Arthur, if you don’t shut up I will transfigure you into a teacup,” Merlin shouted across the small room, the bogart popping away to hide in the cupboard again. “I almost had it that time.”

“Look, _Mer_ lin, it’s not my fault you’re struggling with a basic defense spell.” Arthur’s eyes were smug and his arms crossed as he sat back on the cushy chair that always appeared in this room when he accompanied Merlin.

“Well, _actually_ , it is entirely your fault I can’t concentrate. And this spell is not basic! Even Professor Lupin says it’s difficult magic.” Arthur just shrugged and kicked his feet out, taking up half of the tiny space.

Merlin wasn’t sure why the room was always so small when he came with Arthur, but right now it was driving him mad. He’d been practicing this spell since Professor Lupin first hinted that the spell would be a good one for those at risk with the dementors to use to protect themselves. And since he’d started trying to learn, Arthur hadn’t stopped pestering him about it.

“Come on, just teach it to me. I mean, that usually helps you figure out spells,” the blond headed idiot leaned forward, his pout an obvious trick. Merlin never could deny his friend when he gave him the faux-puppy eyes.

“If you will let me try for ten minutes on my own without opening your mouth—” Merlin held up his hand to shush the protests Arthur had already begun, “And only if you are entirely quiet, I will try to teach it to you.”

Arthur snorted, but kept whatever comments he might have had to himself. Merlin was shocked, to say the least, but he turned to continue his attempts.

Closing his eyes, and thinking hard, he tried to remember his happiest moment.

_“Merlin, there’s a letter for you. Do you know an ‘Albus Dumbledor’? And how did they know you were hiding behind the coats?”_

_And he’d never been alone again._

“Expecto Patronum!” He all but shouted it, opening his eyes just as a silvery mist wafted from the tip of his wand. Before he could get excited, it disappeared in a vapor. Arthur snorted again behind him, but did not utter a word.

Merlin grumbled and set up again, trying to think of something happier than the day he’d found out that he wasn’t just a freak. It took him a long time, and he wasn’t sure at all in the memory, but he tried anyway.  
 _“You must be Merlin! I’ve heard a lot about you.” The short girl held out her hand, smiling at him from beneath a mess of curly hair. Her brown eyes shined brightly at him. “I’m Gwen. We’ve got Transfiguration together.”_

Gwen had been his first friend here, in this giant school. And she hadn’t even made fun of his name.

“Expecto Patronum!” He said it firm this time, not loud. And not even a silvery smoke came from his wand. Nothing happened at all. He growled irritably, but closed his eyes. Arthur was laughing quietly from his chair.

He had one last ditch idea, but he didn’t necessarily even want it to work. Still…

_“Oi, watch where you’re going!” The voice that rang out above him, ridiculously loud, was arrogant and mocking. Merlin really couldn’t have helped himself._

_Whoever the blond idiot was, he fell flat on his face when his pants fell down around his knees. Merlin had really expected him to be angry. Instead, he had turned around laughing, a grin on his face._

_“Tell me, do you usually walk around on your knees?” Merlin tried to keep his voice steady, but he hadn’t realized just how **not scrawny** his target had been. And when he did realize it, he was reminded just how scrawny **he** was._

_“How about I show you what I do on my knees?”_

And that was how Merlin had become best friends with the very pompous, very bisexual Arthur Pendragon.

“Expecto Patronum!” He said one last time, surprised when the vague, cloud-like mist from before strengthened into a blue funnel, forcing the false dementor to hiss back into his cupboard. Merlin turned to Arthur, who was fighting back a grin.

“What? I thought the really powerful ones had animals that came from their wands?” Arthur shook his head, standing with a smirk. “Nope, definitely need more practice. I guess that just means you’re going to have to teach me. We can work out all the kinks.”

“I did perfectly fine! It’s my first time, it’s not like I’m going to be making fully formed patronuses on the first go.” He didn’t realize he’d put his hand son his hips until Arthur did it back at him, waving his finger like a worrying grandmother in Merlin’s face.

“Now Merlin, this isn’t the first go! And besides, it never hurts to practice. Don’t be lazy.” Arthur held out his wand and looked at Merlin expectantly. “So, what do I do?”

“Ok, so Professor Lupin said that it’s pretty potent stuff, so you’ve got to kind of brace yourself and think of a happy memory.” He mumbled the last bit, but he could tell by the way Arthur sniggered that the boy had heard it.

“I might have misheard you. Did you say think of a happy memory?” Arthur raised his eyebrows, and Merlin’s cheeks burned.

“Yes, I know, it sounds stupid, but that’s how it’s supposed to fight against the whole dementor thing. You know, they’re all soul-sucking depression, so you fight it with a good memory.” He shrugged, hoping that Arthur wouldn’t ask.

Which, of course he did. Immediately.

“So what did you think of?” Arthur’s wand was barely raised now as he watched the other wizard curiously.

“Well, I thought of receiving my Hogwarts letter first. That didn’t work. Then I thought of the day I met Gwen. Which, obviously, didn’t work either.” Merlin paused, trying to think of something else to tell him that would sound plausible for the memory that worked.

“Well, lord knows that receiving my Hogwarts letter was anything but fun. And Gwen hated me when we first met.” Arthur looked aggravated, as if he’d really expected Merlin’s memories to work for him and now he was thrown through a loop.

“You weren’t happy to find out you were accepted at Hogwarts?” Merlin tilted his head, watching Arthur’s expression flash into an odd kind of pain at the memory, and tried to quickly move on. “I mean, for me, it was the best day of my life. I wasn’t a freak anymore.” He winced, feeling a tad dramatic.

“Yeah, well, I was just the opposite. Turns out my mum was a witch, but she never told dad. So when I got the letter, he pretty much determined I was a devil spawn, and practically disowned me. I’m think his exact words were ‘I couldn’t have made a freak and a twink.’”

Merlin flinched, before he reached out and patted Arthur’s arm. “Well, you know, no one thinks that here.”

“Yeah, yeah. You guys are great.”

Except Arthur didn’t look up to happy memories, now. So after Merlin set him up and told him what to do, the first few attempts failed miserably. Not even a spark of blue at the end of Arthur’s wand.

“Arthur, you’ve got to think of something happy. Come on, you’re the most popular guy in school. You have to have some good memories in that noggin of yours.” Merlin tapped his index finger against Arthur’s skull, but only received a glare in return.

“You know, I don’t recall asking for your input. It’s not like you got it right away anyway!” Arthur’s cheeks were flaming red, and his voice was too loud for the small room.

“Sorry,” Merlin took a step back, putting his hands up in surrender. “Let’s try this again. Try describing the happy memory to me beforehand. Maybe you’re just not picturing it clearly enough.”

He closed his eyes, waiting for Arthur to start talking. After a few moments of silence, he peaked through his lashes to see Arthur giving him a strange look. “What?”

“Hold on a minute. You never told me which memory worked for you,” Blue eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

“Well, you see, it’s not like I had a lot of friends. Before you, there was just Gwen, and even though she’s really sweet, she had Lance and Morgana and, well, you, and it was just me. So, meeting you kind of just gave me someone I could talk to and, you know, relate to. I mean, even when you’re being a complete dollophead, you are my best friend so—” He stopped when Arthur held up a hand, his cheeks flaming red.

“Are you trying to tell me that the only memory you could come up that even remotely worked was me?” When Merlin only nodded slowly, Arthur threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, well, that’s certainly unexpected. You need to get better friends, Merlin.”

Merlin’s mouth fell open as Arthur set up again and closed his eyes. “Wait a minute! You’re my best friend. Why on earth would you be surprised that you’re my happiest memory?”

Arthur’s eyes opened again, and he raised a single eyebrow. “Are you serious? I treat you like garbage. Everyone says so. I’m not even sure why you put up with me, to be honest.”

“Of course you treat me like garbage. And I probably haven’t said anything to you that wasn’t complete sarcasm in three years. That doesn’t mean—” And then Merlin shut up because he had a very enthusiastic Arthur kissing him in a room that seemed much smaller than it had been moments ago.

Perhaps, most surprising of all for Merlin, was how readily he responded. He hadn’t even thought about this (except for once or twice in potions, but then, that day had been all about amortentia and really, how could he have known that it was the potion and NOT that Arthur was standing right beside him?), and yet here he was, hands in Arthur’s hair while he made ungodly noises in Arthur’s mouth.

By the time Arthur pulled away, Merlin was pretty sure his lips were bruised, and he _knew_ his hair was a mess, but Arthur just faced forward and lifted his wand again.

“Expecto Patronum!” Arthur’s voice was strong, despite his breathlessness. Blue spilled from the tip of his wand, building and growing and twisting until he and Merlin were pressed against the door by a large, blue, ethereal dragon.

“Well, I guess that worked?”


End file.
